Essay about Impacts of Service-Learning on College Students

Essay about Impacts of Service-Learning on College Students

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The functional area of service-learning is currently emerging as an acknowledged department at an institution of higher education. The theoretical roots of service learning go back to John Dewey, and the early twentieth century. However, current research on service-learning pedagogy dates back only to the early 1990’s. Best practices for the field are still being created as more and more new offices are springing up on campuses throughout the United States and institutions internationally. The reason this functional area is becoming ever popular is due to the positive impact it has on students and most all educational outcomes.

Service-learning is considered both academic and co-curricular. Academic service learning is credit bearing and co-curricular being non-credit bearing. There have been several definitions of service-learning established, all by reputable authors in the field. Eyler and Giles (1999) cite Jane Kendall as stating there are 147 definitions of service-learning. One of the most comprehensive definitions is stated by Wajert (1998) and says academic service learning consists of six elements. Three are community based, and three are campus based.

“On the community side: the student provides some meaningful service (work), that meets a need or goal that is defined by a community. On the campus side: the service provided by the student flows from and into the course objective, is integrated into the course by means of assignments that require some form of reflection on the service in light for course objectives, and the assignment is assessed and evaluated accordingly” (p. 5).
Eyler and Giles (1999) suggest that there is significance in the hyphen between service and learning and that is where the definition...

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- Service learning is the name for forcing college students to do volunteer work as part of their college careers. The hope is that this volunteer work will give students a better sense of civic duty, and thus, be a worthy addition to college curriculums. However, this idea relies on the faulty premise that if one is forced to volunteer that one will derive the same benefits as someone who does it out of their own desire to help. Mandatory service learning will not have the desired effect, and should not be forced upon students.... [tags: required student volunteer work]

- School, when some people hear the word, they usually think that school is learning new things in a room. However, it is something that cannot be described only in the textbook. Service learning is “an union of community service and formal learning. It involves students going out into their communities and using that which they learn in class to help people, and then bringing that which they learn in their community service back into the classroom to enhance their learning.”(Minor, 2001) Diane Murakami who is an ELL (English Language Learners) teacher at Queen Ka’ahumanu Elementary School in Honolulu.... [tags: ESL Students]

- Service learning is integrated within academic courses in several community colleges, although, other colleges have yet to integrate service learning. The communities whom the students serve have acknowledged the effect because of the value it consists for students. The involvement in community service helps and changes a student's character, desire to volunteer in the community, and become aware of the community's need for development. This civic duty is part of a curriculum that can be an advantage or disadvantage to a student who either invest well in the opportunity, or oppose the basic requirement in order to graduate.... [tags: Community Service, Colleges]

- When a woman approached Benjamin Franklin following the concluding session of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the fall of 1787 and asked what sort of government the delegates had come up with, Franklin famously replied: "A republic, madam, if you can keep it." The relevance of that notable statement transcended centuries and applied itself not only to national politics. The People’s participation in maintaining an agreeable government depends on a collective activism regarding both state and local civic affairs.... [tags: Service Learning Teaching Education]

- In 2010, “over 20 billion hours of volunteer service were reported” in the United States (Hoffman 418). For such an outstanding amount of time, only 26.7% of the population reported volunteer hours (Hoffman 418-9). Philanthropy, a desire to improve the material, social, and spiritual welfare of humanity, especially through charitable activities, is dependent on the altruistic values of the American society. Philanthropy is a general love for all of humanity that manifests itself in the form of community service.... [tags: Service-Learning Essays]

- Service Learning in College Service learning provides college students with a whole new method of learning. This type of learning provides a student with an experience outside of the classroom in their area of concentration. Emily Knab, a college student at the University of Miami, has experienced service learning and found it very beneficial in her area of interest. Emily is studying education and wants to become a teacher in the future. She performed her service learning at an elementary school, focusing her attention on the third grade.... [tags: Essays Papers Education Teaching Style]

- ... During a service learning opportunity the student must work with a random group of individuals in order to help less fortunate people or places. This group work will face adversities that are similar to ones that will be faced in the work setting later in life. Getting students involved in group work at such a young age will put them step ahead of others on the road to success. In these groups they will face challenges such as understanding one another clearly, collaborating on one idea as a group, and then implementing the group ideas into the actual work.... [tags: impact, skills, scores, network]

- ... With an influx of immigrants from countries around the world to Brevard County, linguistical assistance from proficient English speakers can be a great service-learning task at Eastern Florida State College. Perhaps a language exchange of sorts can happen. Such an exchange would fall under the reciprocity portion of service-learning, which is more often than not, a huge part of the service-learning experience. In a short video interview titled “The Importance of Service Learning”, with Charis, last name not given, a student at Gateway Technical College, she recalls her Service-Learning experience of teaching others how to grow and maintain vegetables: You can tell somebody 'this is h... [tags: making communities better]

- Community service is defined as voluntary or involuntary work done by individuals to provide service to disadvantaged groups or public areas. While community service has numerous benefits, it only focuses on unidimensional service and caters to a current need setting nothing in place to implement substantial change in the future. In contrast, service learning focuses on reciprocity and sets a foundation to create changes in communities. Service learning is defined as an organized collaborative process that requires individuals to actively participate in service projects.... [tags: Teaching Education Research]

- The Society for Experiential Education defines service learning as, “any carefully monitored service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience” (Staton 1). Service learning is a great opportunity to get extra learning experiences while also experiencing the community around the universities campus. “Service learning allows students to apply what they are learning from their instructors, peers, and readings to genuine tasks that occur outside the four walls of the classroom while simultaneously helping others” (Staton 1).... [tags: Education Educating College University Essays]